Board Meeting — 3/13/23

Call to Order: President Dolly Robinson called the Board meeting to order at 5:33 PM. Members in attendance included the following: Dolly Robinson, Mike Null, Laura Null, Joe Hinkle, Liza Viplav, Debbi Carter, Tara Bell, and Linda Williams with special guest, Joanne Hinkle.

Approval of Board Minutes: M. Null made a motion to approve the Minutes of the February 13, 2023 and D. Carter seconded the motion; the motion carried unanimously.

Guest speaker, Joanne Hinkle reported to the Board she was representing the senior ladies who play tennis three times a week during the morning hours. She requested that LCCCTA consider providing shade structures over the benches on the courts.

Ms. Hinkle said the yellow umbrellas are not blocking the sun, as they thought they might. President Robinson said in order to do something different, tall poles will be required to attach canopies.

D. Robinson asked Ms. Hinkle to ask if the ladies would collectively want to contribute to help with the cost. Joanne Hinkle agreed to ask and will research regarding shade structure options before reporting back to the Board.

L. Williams told Ms. Hinkle the Lake City Reporter plans to write and publish a Lifestyle Story soon on the active senior tennis players.

M. Null said that since it’s early in the year, he suggested D. Robinson contact First Federal to match what is donated for shade structures. With a funding match, M. Null believes there is a possibility two shade structures could be funded. If so, First Federal can hang their sponsorship sign at the courts.

L. Williams provided an email from George English, USTA FL Representative:

USTA Florida is now accepting nominations for our Local Awards. There are many great volunteers in Florida, so please review the awards listed below and make your nominations by March 31st . 

The two categories for this season (Winter / Spring) are the following:

 1. Jimmy Gantt Memorial

This award recognizes a tennis player who has overcome a physical impairment or injury. Tournament players, league players, recreational players, adaptive players, and wheelchair players (junior and adult) are included. The player competes to the best of his/her ability and exhibits strong character and sportsmanship.

 2. Champion of Tennis

This award recognizes an individual(s), a community or program partner(s), who may or may not be a volunteer(s) for USTA Florida. Their contributions result in the promotion and/or development of tennis in their community and/or throughout Florida. These contributions may be defined in time, accomplishments, skills, resources and/or efforts.

This award includes the following categories:

Adaptive Tennis, Adult Programs, Coaches, Community Partners, Youth Programs, Facilities, Family, Schools Partners, and Wheelchair Tennis.

If you know of a great candidate(s), please nominate them by completing the nomination form on our website page at this link NO LATER THAN March 31st.

D. Robinson suggested LizAnne Viplav be nominated for the Jimmy Gantt Memorial Award and LCCCTA be nominated for the Champion of Tennis Award.

President Robinson will complete the USTA FL online nomination forms and submit them for consideration prior to March 31, 2023.

Tara Bell said she plans to volunteer her time to conduct another Net Generation afterschool tennis program for 1 st - 5 th graders at Belmont Academy after Spring Break. The program will be held one day per week for seven weeks. Ms. Bell has hopes the tennis program can be available to all Belmont students, not just the afterschool students. T. Bell will be in contact with George English should she need anything for The Net Generation Program.

Old Business: M. Null announced that USTA FL replenished a case of tennis balls previously purchased personally by Coach Mark Mansbach for the Veteran’s Tennis Program. On behalf of LCCCTA, M. Null completed the application process for the USTA FL Equipment Grant, which is limited to $1,500 for tennis balls and tennis rackets. The grant cycle will remain open through April 15th .

M. Null reported on the shade structure which will provide shade for the tennis spectators sitting on the bleachers. Game Time provided a quote for $17,000 installed—to include design and fabrication by a licensed certified installer who has considered wind load standards. The $17,000 quote given to LCCCTA has already been submitted by M. Null to Suwannee Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) and is expected to be addressed on their Board Agenda for the March 20th meeting.

M. Null added If the grant request is approved, the shade structure will require permitting and approval for construction by the City of Lake City.

D. Robinson announced LCCCTA’s Annual Report has been filed with the State of Florida, listing the 2023 LCCCTA Board of Directors. D. Robinson reported the backboard has been installed on court 4 with poles (not attached to the fence). She suggested using black landscape cloth and painting the poles black to blend in with the surroundings. The cost to install the backboard was $455.

New Business: D. Robinson said that at February’s meeting it was agreed the next LCCCTA Tennis Social, “Let’s Make a Racket”, will be held on Thursday, March 16 th from 6-7pm at Young’s Park tennis courts.

Anjan and Liza Viplav have offered to bring refreshments and M. Null will provide a cooler with drinks. Linda Williams has already laminated flyers to reserve the courts for the social event. She publicized the event via the tennis courts community board, local newspaper, social media, and emails to LCCCTA Tennis Partners and Tennis Connections groups.

L. Williams said she was able to request $569 funding from Youth Tennis Foundation (YTF) for tennis divider netting to separate teaching court 3 from public court 4 (which contains a backboard). The court divider netting will prevent tennis balls from the public court rolling into the court where paid instruction is occurring.

D. Robinson said the same person who put up the backboard is willing to install the divider netting with 2 ft. extended galvanized posts. L. Viplav reminded the group that a center pole will be necessary to hold the weight of the divider netting, unless the netting can partially divide the courts from the fences to the service lines.

D. Robinson expressed appreciation to L. Williams for securing the funding and said she will send a note of sincere appreciation to YTF on behalf of LCCCTA.

D. Robinson made a motion that LCCCTA purchase a YTF banner for $32 to hang with the other sponsor banners on the fence. The motion was seconded by L. Williams; the motion carried unanimously.

L. Williams reported that there has been an huge increase in sponsorship banners; several are in the process of being printed and more will be ordered. Currently, LCCCTA has banner support from 14 individuals / businesses.

L. Williams reported on the upcoming Spring Youth Tennis Camp. The camp directors will be Anjan and Liza Viplav. Flyers have been laminated to reserve the courts on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:30-5:30pm during the weeks of April 4-20.

The event has been publicized via social media, the LCR Community Calendar, email, and posted flyer at the Tennis Communication Board. Coach Mark Mansbach is also announcing the upcoming tennis camp to his tennis students. The camp registration form is available to complete online; a variety of participants (6-15 year olds) have already reserved their spots in the camp and parents only need to sign the liability waiver forms and pay the $20 fee on the first day, April 4th

J. Hinkle will collect the registration forms and fees on April 4th .

Liza Viplav confirmed each session will be 45 minute, with an initial 15 minute for warm-up. Volunteers will include T. Bell, L. Hunter-Null, D. Robinson, and L. Williams.

L. Williams reported Coach Mark Mansbach is concerned about the noise level with a backboard.

D. Robinson said she hit against the backboard with a foam ball and it was effective in helping with getting into position / footwork and provided no noise; she recommended trying it!

Another noise concern voiced by M. Mansbach was the loud music/vulgar language coming from the Young’s Park basketball court when he is giving tennis lessons to children and adults.

D. Robinson said she had already made contact with the LCPD, Andy Mangrum, and he has provided the telephone number to call if this occurs.

D. Robinson has asked everyone to call if they hear this; the LCPD wants to know so they can take care of it. It was suggested LCPD place security cameras on high light poles to monitor the activity.

At the February 13th meeting, Anjan Viplav recommended scheduling LCCCTA Tennis Socials for the third Thursday in each month from 6-7 PM. D. Robinson announced Thursday, April 20th will be the next social event and L. Williams will publicize it.

D. Robinson asked for suggested dates for the YTF- funded LCCCTA Summer Youth Tennis Camp. It was decided it will be a 3-week Tuesday and Thursday morning camp to begin on May 30th and end on June 15th. It will depend on the number of participants as to how many groups, but starting time will be either 8:30 or 9:00 and sessions will be 45 minutes in duration.

T. Bell volunteered to assist with the summer camp, along with her son.

L. Williams will also contact our last year’s summer camp instructor. Debbi Carter said she’s been making connections to get an Adult Tennis League started by getting names of former and current tennis players. Coach Mark Mansbach has provided a few names.

D. Robinson suggested getting a couple of teams together to play doubles in a local combo ‘inaugural’ league for three weeks, just to get started—a base which can be fine-tuned.

L. Williams will provide names of ‘Tennis Connections’ players who have already expressed their interest in adult league play from LCCCTA’s website, where beginner, intermediate, and advanced players are able to connect and play with compatible tennis players in our area.

Financial Report Joe Hinkle provided the Financial Report. The current balance in the bank account is $1,239.70, prior to adding banner sponsorship checks totaling $300, and paying for labor and materials to have the backboard erected. M. Null made a motion to authorize payment to Rudy Howell for $455 and D. Carter seconded the motion; the motion carried unanimously.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for April 10, 2023 at Duval Place, Suite 183, Conference room.

President Dolly Robinson adjourned the Board meeting at 7:30 PM.